When do I get to stop saying "these days"...still meaning that I'm adjusting to life as a new mom? If I have a 6 month old baby, am I still a "new mom?" Should I already be adjusted? I don't know if I should...but I'm certainly not. And I think I'm great with that. :)
But back to what I'm learning this week...my prayer for Erin this week comes from Proverbs 31:25. It says,
"She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come."
This is a description of a wife of "noble character" from Proverbs 31:10-31. A few months ago, this verse stuck out to me differently than it had before, and it's been written on a card and taped to my mirror ever since.
One thing that amazes me about God's word is that the more you read the same verse, and meditate on the truth it communicates, the more it changes you.
I don't know exactly what it means that she laughs at the days to come. But I think I know what the opposite looks like: FEAR. ANXIETY. WORRY. Recently, I have struggled with anxiety about the future, about things that are completely outside of my control. This anxiety can bring me to tears because I somehow convince myself that what I am afraid will happen, will actually happen.
God is clear that He does not want me to live a life afraid of the future. Matthew 6:25-34, Psalm 118:6-7, Joshua 1:9, Philippians 4:6-8, 1 Peter 5:7, Isaiah 6:3, Romans 8:6 are just a few of the verses that remind me of this.
The truth is, I don't know what will happen in the future - from one minute from now to 100 years from now. But I do know that if I am focused on what I am afraid of, I will miss what the Lord has for me right now. I will miss the relationships with friends and neighbors. I will miss the sweetness of watching my baby learn new things every day (because she is BRILLIANT). I will miss the pleasure of a good night's sleep so that my body is refreshed for the next day. I will miss the joy of seeing our daughter get so excited to see our faces in the morning that she wiggles around in her crib like a little puppy who's about to get some good food. I will miss the joy of serving and loving my husband every day.
So my prayer for Erin this week is that she will be a woman who isn't hindered by anxiety and worry, but that she will trust God. I pray that she will be a woman who laughs at the days to come.
Hi Leigh, I just wanted to say that you have every right to still feel like a "new mom". They say the newlywed phase lasts for 3 years so you absolutely can be a new mom for AT LEAST a year! Loved what I got to read in your blog today and Erin really is beautiful and brilliant!! Thanks for sharing.
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